Abrading tool



Aug. 8, 1939. T H PP 2,168,491"

- ABRAI'JING TOOL Filed March 22, 1938 III INVENTOR. THEODORE M. SCHUPPYM,WMM

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 8, 1939 ABRADING TOOL Theodore M. Schupp, RichfieldTownship, Summit County, Ohio Application March 22, 1938, Serial No.197,405

8 Claims.

This invention is an improved abrading tool for cleaning or scouring theinterior cylindrical surfaces of a certain class of pipe fittings.

In modern high grade plumbing and heating systems, and other pipeinstallations such as those used in air conditioning systems, brass andcopper pipes and fittings are employed, and the joints between the pipesand fittings are of the threadless type, the joined surfaces beingconnected together by soldering or so-called sweating or brazing.

When fittings of this class are kept in stock for an appreciable lengthof time, and when they are carried about and handled, corrosion occurson the surfaces of the fittings: and also said surfaces are subjected tothe accumulation of dirt and grease. Before an effective andsatisfactory joint can be made, the surfaces that are to be connectedtogether in the aforesaid manner have to be cleaned or cleared of allforeign substances preparatory to receiving the flux and solder.

An object of my invention is to provide asimple, inexpensive, anddurable tool by which the interior surfaces or joint seats of tubularfittings may be effectively and conveniently cleaned.

Another object of the invention is to provide an abrading tool in whicha quantity of steel wool or similar material forms the abrading part orelement; and a related object is to provide a construction facilitatingthe insertion, replacement and adjustment of the abrading material.

The tool, according to the present embodiment of the invention,comprises a tubular body that is open at its forward end and along oneside adjacent said end to provide an open side cavity in which theabrading material is packed and through whose open side the material isexposed for action on the surface or seat to be cleaned. A furtherobject is to provide a movable closure for the open side of the tubularbody, desirably in the form of a sleeve that is frictionally engagedwith and slidable on said tubular body, and by which the abradingmaterial may be confined while being packed or compressed in the tool,and which closure or sleeve may serve as a retainer and protector forthe abrading material when the tool is not in use.

Another object is to provide a part on the tool for cooperation in themanner of a stop .with a part of the fitting thereby to dispose theabrading element in proper relation to the interior seat of the fittingwhen the end of the tool is insertedinto the fitting.

Objects and advantages additional to the foregoing will appear as Iproceed to describe the invention by reference to the accompanyingdrawing wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the manner inwhich the tool is used for cleaning or scouring the internal cylindricalseat of a pipe fitting, the latter beingshown in central section; Fig. 2is a perspective View of the tool; Fig. 3 is a central longitudinalsection through the tool and through an adjacent portion of a fittinginto which the end of the tool is inserted, the tool being shown incontracted condition; Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are sections on the respectivelines 4-4, 55 and 6-45 of Fig. 3, the several views being taken asthough looking in the direction of the arrows associated with saidlines, and Fig. 7 is a sectional detail through the rear end of amodification of the invention.

The tool includes a body I that is constructed of a piece of tubing ofsuitable length. Within the tubular body is disposed a cylindrical block2 provided with a longitudinal groove 3 along one side. The front end ofthe block 2 is spaced from the corresponding end of the body a distancesomewhat greater than the depth of the deepest seat that is to becleaned by means of the tool, and one side of the tubular body portionforwardly of the block 2 is cut away so as to provide a side opening.Said opening occupies less than half the circumference of the body andthe longitudinal edges of the remaining segmental part of the body areturned inward slightly, as shown at 4 in Figs. 2 and 4. The block 2 isarranged with its groove 3 diametrically opposite the beforementionedside opening. A unit, designated generally by the reference numeral l0,and including a substantially semicylindrical presser jaw II and asimilarly shaped handle I2, is pivotally connected, by means of a pin orrivet I5, to the body I. Said pin or rivet is engaged through aperturesin ears [6 of the unit 10, and extends through aligned openings in thebody I and block 2. The presser jaw II and the handle l2 are disposed atan obtuse angle to each other, and a leaf spring ll, that is shown asconnected by a rivet I8 to: the free end of the handle I2, is locatedbetween the handle and the rear end portion of the body I and tends tourge the handle outwardly thereby to swing the presser jaw Ii inwardlyagainst the front end of the body. The jaw ll terminates in thetransverse plane of the front end of the body and, as is especiallyclear from Fig. 2, the unit 10 is spaced a slight distance from the bodyI. Surrounding the body forwardly of the pin or rivet I5 is a sleeve 20,the same preferably being split longitudinally and constructed ofresilient 55:.

metal so as to frictionally embrace the body. This sleeve constitutes aclosure for the previously mentioned side opening.

Extending through the body from end to end thereof is a rod 22 that isslidable within the groove 3 of the block 2 and its forward end isturned laterally to provide a finger 23, the same being shown as at anangle slightly acute to the longitudinal axis of the rod. At its rearend the rod extends through a bore 25 in a plug 26 that is set withinthe end of the body l and is held in place by a screw 21. Beyond theplug 26 the terminal portion of the rod 22 is bent laterally and formedto provide an eye 28. A coil spring 30 surrounds the rod 22 rearwardlyof the block 2, the bore 25 of the plug 26 being large enough to permitfree movement of the rod and spring therethrough. As will best appearfrom Fig. 5, the groove 3 is of a width only slightly greater than thediameter of the rod 22, and as a consequence the front end of the spring30 bears against the surface of the block adjacent the groove 3, whilethe rear end of the spring bears against an abutment provided by thelaterally turned end of the rod. 7

A slight modification of the foregoing construction is shown in Fig. 7where a fragment of the tubular body is designated l and fitting intothe rear end thereof is a plug 26 which may have precisely the samecross-sectional area and shape as the block 2. In fact, the block andplug may be cut from the same bar of stock, having a groove along oneside, corresponding to the beforementioned groove 3, the groove of theplug 26 being designated 25 and serving to accommodate the rear endportion of the rod 22*. In this case the rear end of a spring 3U engagesan abutment provided by a ring or washer 3| that surrounds the rod 22and is held against rearward movement thereon by lugs 32 that may beproduced by pinching the rod at these points to displace the metalthereof.

A pipe fitting designated 35 appears in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. It is shown asa T-fitting, the lateral branch 36 whereof is of smaller diameter thanthe main branch. Within each terminal of the fitting is a cylindricalseat that is adapted to receive the end of a pipe to which the fittingis to be sweated or brazed, and preparatory to executing the joint thesurface of the seat is cleaned or polished by means of the tool. Thetool herein disclosed is of a size to clean the larger seats of the mainbranch of the fitting. A tool of a smaller size would be employed forcleaning the seat of the branch 36.

In preparing the tool for use, the closure or sleeve 20 is shiftedforwardly along the body I until its front end is substantially flushwith the corresponding ends of the body and jaw H. The rod 22 is graspedby the eye 28 and pushed forwardly and turned through approximately soas to engage the finger 23 with the front end of the body portion andwith the adjacent end of the jaw II. This holds the rod in a forwardlyprojected position against the action of the spring 30; The user nowplaces a quantity of steel wool or similar abrading material, designated38, in the open end of the tool and presses or tamps it to the desireddensity, using a sufiicient quantity to thoroughly fill the tool to thevery end, and he then turns the rod 22 by means of the eye 28 to engagethe finger 23 across the front end of the body of abrading material andthen releases the rod to permit the spring 30 to tretract it and,through the means of the finger 23, hold the abrasive material firmlyagainst the front end of the block 2. The user then slides the sleeve 20rearwardly beyond the side opening of the body portion and, grasping thetool in the manner shown in Fig. 1, inserts the front end of the toolinto the end of the fitting until the end of the jaw ll engages ashoulder 39 at the inner end of the cylindrical seat 40 that it isdesired to clean. Now, by squeezing the tool so as to force the handlel2 toward the adjacent end of the body I, the front end of the tool isexpanded. That is to say, the presser jaw II is brought into engagementwith the adjacent side of the seat 40 and the exposed portion of thebody of abrading material 38 is pressed into firm contact with thediametrically opposed portion of the seat 40 for a considerable distancethereabout. In the class of fittings referred to there is frequently acircumferential solder retaining groove 4| about the seat, and becauseof the nature of the abrading material a part of such material is forcedinto the groove. The user, continuing to squeeze the tool firmly withone hand, rotates or oscillates the fitting with respect to the tool bymeans of his other hand and. thus cleans or scours the seat 40throughout its circumference. When the tool is not in use, the sleeve 26may be slid forwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2 thereby to protectand better confine the abrading material.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A tool of the class described comprising an elongated body having aside opening cavity adjacent its forward end, a quantity of abrading Imaterial in said cavity exposed through an open side thereof for actionon a seat to be cleaned, and an elongated unit fulcrumed to the body andwhose front and rear ends constitute, respectively, a jaw and a handle,the latter normally reposing in laterally spaced relation to the bodyand when swung toward the same serves to rock the unit thereby to causethe jaw to effect expansion of the forward end of the tool and aconsequential outward movement of the abrading material.

2. A tool of the class described comprising a body, a presser jawmovably connected thereto and overlying one side of an end portionthereof, said end portion being hollow and having an opening on the sideopposite said jaw, a quantity of abrasive material in the hollow endportion of the body and exposed through said opening for action on asurface to be cleaned, and means for forcing said jaw away from thebody.

3. A tool of the class described comprising a body having an abrasivereceiving cavity that opens through one end and through the side of thebody adjacent said end, an abutment defining the inner end of thecavity, a wad of abrasive material in said cavity and exposed throughthe open side of the body for action on a surface to be cleaned, apresser jaw movably connected toithe body and overlying the side of theend portion thereof opposite said open side, a spring urged elementengaging and bearing inwardly against the outer end of the wad ofabrasive material thereby to clamp it against the aforesaid abutment,and means for forcing the presser jaw away from the body.

4. A tool of the class described comprising a body, a presser jawmovably connected thereto and overlying one side of an end portionthereof, said end portion being hollow and having an opening on the sideopposite said jaw, a closure for said opening shiftable on the body toand from effective position, a quantity of abrasive material in thehollow end portion of the body and exposed through said opening foraction on a surface to be cleaned when said closure is in ineffectiveposition, and means for forcing the presser jaw away from the body.

5. A tool of the class described comprising an elongated tubular body, ablock fitted within said body and having its forward end spaced inwardlya substantial distance from the corresponding end of the body, one sideof the body being cut away from its forward end to a point adjacent theforward end of said block thereby to provide a side opening, a sleevefrictionally embracing the body for slidable movement thereon from aposition in which its forward end is contiguous to the corresponding endof the body to a second position wherein its forward end is adjacent therear end of said side opening, a unit pivotally connected to the bodyrearwardly of said sleeve when the latter is in its rear position andcomprising a jaw that extends to the forward end of the body and ahandle portion in angular relation to said jaw that extends toapproximately the rear end of the body, spring means tending to rocksaid unit with respect to the body so as to retain the jaw adjacent theforward end of the body, and a quantity of abrasive material compactedwithin the forward end of the body and exposed through the side openingthereof for action on a surface to be cleaned.

6. A tool of the class described comprising an elongated tubular body, ablock fitted within said body and having its forward end spaced inwardlya substantial distance from the corresponding end of the body to providea cavity, one side of the body being cut away from its forward end to apoint adjacent the forward end ofsaid block thereby to provide a sideopening for said cavity, a quantity of abrasive material in said cavity,a sleeve frictionally embracing the body for slidable movement thereonfrom a position in which its forward end is contiguous to thecorresponding end of the body to a second position wherein its forwardend is adjacent the rear end of said side opening, said block having alongitudinal passageway from end to end thereof, a member extendingthrough the body and slidable in said passageway of the block, themember having a part for engagement with the abrasive material adjacentthe open front end of the body and having an operating part extendingbeyond the opposite end of the body, a spring urging said memberrearwardly, a unit pivotally connected to the body rearwardly of saidsleeve when the latter is in its rear position and comprising a jaw thatextends to the forward end of the body and a handle portion in angularrelation to said jaw that extends to approximately the rear end of thebody, and spring means tending to rock said unit with respect to thebody so as to retain the jaw adjacent the forward end of the body.

7. A tool of the class described comprising an elongated tubular body,one side of which is cut away adjacent the forward end of the body toprovide a side opening, an abutment disposed within the body to the rearof said side opening, a quantity of abrasive material in the bodyexposed through said side opening for action on a seat to be cleaned, amember extending through the body and having a part for engagement withthe abrasive material adjacent the open front end of the body and havingan operating part extending beyond the opposite end of the body, aspring urging said member rearwardly thereby to clamp the abrasivematerial between the first mentioned part of said member and theaforesaid abutment, a unit pivotally connected to the body andcomprising a jaw that extends to the forward end of the body and ahandle portion in angular relation to said jaw that extends toapproximately the rear end of the body, and spring means tending to rocksaid unit with respect to the body so as to retain the jaw adjacent theforward end of the body.

8. A tool of the class described comprising an elongated cylindricaltubular body, a cylindrical block fitted within said body and having itsforward end spaced inwardly a material distance from the correspondingend of the body to form a cavity, the body being notched inwardly fromits front end to a point adjacent the forward end of said block therebyto provide a side opening for said cavity, a quantity of abradingmaterial in said cavity exposed through the open side thereof for actionon a seat to be cleaned, a pivot pin extending through the body andthrough said block a material distance rearwardly from the front end ofthe block, a unit having side portions pivoted on the ends of said pin,the portions of said unit on opposite sides of its pivotal axis beingdisposed at an obtuse angle to each other, the forward end of said unitconstituting a jaw that terminates in proximity to the front end of thebody and the other end portion constituting a handle that extendsalongside the rear end of the body, and a spring interposed between thebody andunit and intending to rock the latter in a direction to retainthe forward end of the unit in proximity to the corresponding end of thebody.

THEODORE M. SCHUPP.

